


Playing for Keeps

by King951



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: AU, AU Created by MeruKomu Madness Discord Server, Alternate Universe - 1920s, F/M, Featuring Multiple MeruKomu Artists, Human Meruem is Hot AF, Mafia/Mob AU, Reincarnation, Sexual Themes, Violence, Yorkshin City | Yorknew City (Hunter X Hunter), merukomu, merumugi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26371462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/King951/pseuds/King951
Summary: Past Life/Reincarnation AU1920s mafia AU where Meruem is a mob boss and Komugi is a gungi-playing gal he meets after a bloody job down by the docks.  Set in Yorknew City.This is an AU brainstormed by members of the MeruKomu Madness Discord.  I based all events on our collaborative efforts.  Our story features an incredible selection of beautiful art provided by our members.
Relationships: Komugi & Meruem (Hunter X Hunter), Komugi/Meruem
Comments: 25
Kudos: 147
Collections: MeruKomu Madness





	Playing for Keeps

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU brainstormed by the members of the MeruKomu Madness Discord Server. We are an international family of MeruMugi shippers who communicate, collaborate, and support one another in all aspects of life. We have artists, writers, musicians, and more! If you would also like to be a part of our community, please [join us](https://discord.gg/ZWdRknj). Have a question before you join? Ask me in the comments or on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GungiKing951). 
> 
> This story is based on suggestions made by server members. We hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much for giving our tale a chance!

Night in Yorknew City, 1923. There was just something about it. No matter what hour ticked by on the clock, the city was alive. Down in Bull Market, the rumble was you might get swindled, especially if you were marked by the locals as some dumb rube. Up in Dayroad Park, you’d probably just find a few bored cops sleeping on some bench, snoring their lives away in between their eighth cup of coffee and third visit to the tobacco shop. Then, in the heart of the city, you’d find places like the lavish Hotel Beitacle and The Risky Dice Casino. That’s where anything was possible, and that’s where the Boss reigned over his kingdom.

Dim and suspended, the lights in the King’s Lounge warmly lit the plum-purple chairs and mahogany bar. The talent, the patrons, the barkeep, and even the bouncer were all gone for the night. All who remained were Boss Meruem, the richest, cruelest crime lord in Yorknew City, and his dame, Komugi. 

Sitting in a plush, shell-shaped chair, he grinned and admired the shade of her golden lingerie, the delicate lace hugging all her alluring curves, making her look like one of those Greek goddesses you see in swanky museums. 

The satin sheen of her brazier was almost glimmering, the bold lights of the jazz stage still illuminating the joint in emerald greens and vibrant violets. The colors bounced off Komugi’s porcelain skin like she was made of stained glass. He loved how fragile she was, and that she was his.

Reaching forward, he took her small, slender fingers in his firm grasp, and pulled her close. He could tell she was nervous, but why wouldn’t she be? After all, he was an absolute king among men. Not to mention, a real sheik, and she was some gal he found one day in a park. She was just sitting there on the ground playing that gungi game. He thought back on her dirty knees and unkempt hair, bound up in a couple of pigtails like she was some snot-nosed kid. No one would recognize her now. Now, she was a complete dish, an absolute queen. 

_Incredible artwork by[Nomi](https://twitter.com/gnomster_nome)._

She slid onto his lap, her hands gliding against his strong jaw and up into his sleek, raven hair. If only she weren’t blind. The woman sadly had no idea what she’s even missing. That’s alright, though. Meruem was sick of all those flashy broads who would come around the club night after night. The ones who liked his looks but really only wanted him for his power. She was different. She was his angel.

“Meruem, I don’t know about this. Do I—Am I lookin’ spiffy enough?”

“You kidding me?”

He grinned, siting his glass of scotch on the polished-wood table to his side. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her against him. She gasped at his strength, gripping anxiously onto the lapel of his pinstriped suit.

“I’m sorry,” she nervously cried, her lip quivering, “I don’t want to mess up your swell suit.”

“Don’t worry your pretty face about it, doll. I have enough scratch to buy every suit in the shop, don’t I?” He ran his hand against her gilded garters and up the form-fitting corselet. “You’re a regular sheba, you know that?”

“Meruem,” she nervously whined, “I ain’t no chippy.”

“Did I say you are? You’re the kind of gal a guy would carry a torch for. I know that." His fingers slid through her hair, his touch sensual and lascivious. "So don’t go making me repeat myself.”

She anxiously squirmed against his lap, still embarrassed to be close to such a powerful man. She didn’t deserve these things. She didn’t deserve the happiness he had given her these past couple of weeks. 

Embarrassed, her face lit up deep rose-red, thin locks of her starlight-colored bob falling in front of her glassy eyes. She shivered as she felt his strong hand slide against her face, his fingers pushing the strands behind her ear. 

“Hey now,” he cooed, “we don’t have to do anything you don’t want, baby. I’m not some copper and this isn’t some cooler. It’s bad for my reputation if this gets out, but I don’t mind waiting for a dame like you. I’m playing for keeps, Komugi.”

She softly smiled, her embarrassed blush spreading for an entirely different reason. Gathering her courage, her fingers traced the outline of his full lips, admiring their soft, supple texture. With her mind in a drunken tizzy, she leaned forward and whispered, “This is what I _want_ , Meruem. I wanna be your girl.”

His lips hauntingly brushed against hers, his hand caressing the nape of her neck, his heart drumming within his chest. With his eyes still wide and locked on her delicate features, Meruem huskily returned, “ _You’re_ **_mine_**.” 

She parted her quaking lips, the heat of his breath drawing close. Like a jolt of lightning, she marveled at how electrifying his kiss always felt. That rush that shot through her was like a drug, and she constantly needed her fix. 

She felt his broad palm slide up her bare midriff, his hand coming to cup her breast through the thin fabric of her brazier, kneading her shape softly. Mewling nervously, she felt him gently bite her lower lip, his hands growing bolder by the second. He was going to have her, _finally_ , and an excited lust trembled throughout her frame.

 ** _Nyah!_** A loud and easily recognizable cough broke their achingly intimate moment. “Mmm, forgive me, Boss. We seem to have a problem.”

_Outstanding artwork by[FrenchUnicorn](https://twitter.com/LeFrenchUnicorn)._

Meruem begrudgingly pulled his lips from Komugi’s, his hand immediately grasping his Colt .45 while his eyes shot up to assess his goon’s whereabouts. His violet eyes nearly boiled over with fury. 

“Don’t come in here Pitou or you’ll get blipped off. I’m not in the mood to bump gums so make it good.”

His lacky froze in place, their swift, graceful footfalls suddenly silenced. “Youpi was tailed, Boss. He says he was crowded by some dippy gumshoe down on the west pier.” 

“And? What did they shake out of him?”

There was no answer, Pitou thoroughly distracted by a crashing sound in the hallway, hoping it was a fight they could soon join.

“I _won’t_ repeat myself!”

“Nothing, Boss,” they nervously replied, glad their leader wasn’t close enough to slap them. Still, bullets could be a problem.

Meruem cringed, thoroughly annoyed. His trigger finger ached to fire off a few shots in Pitou’s direction. This cat needed to get lost before they got bumped off. After all, the Boss had better things to worry about, like claiming his prize: Komugi. 

Meruem glanced longingly at the woman’s pale, porcelain skin and the way her cleavage swelled from each lacy cup of her brazier. He licked his lips, his thoughts urging him to get rid of his goon.

“ _Breeze off_.” 

“What about the sleuth, Boss? He’s…he’s a Hunter.”

Meruem pursed his lips, his attention finally piqued. Hunters snooping around wasn’t a good sign, especially if it turned out to be that private dick Hisoka. The weirdo had been aching for a fight ever since he heard about the Boss’ Nen ability. Meruem snarled, tightening the grip on his gun. 

“Might be time to blow one down, Pitou. Make sure it’s a clean sneak.”

“Yes, Boss.” 

Meruem listened to Pitou’s footsteps as they passed into the hallway. A few seconds later he heard the crash of a brawl. That cat was distracted again. Meruem snarled, ready to go out and beat the obedience back into his crew, but the gal on his lap was more important, especially when she looked better than any canary he’d ever put on stage. 

“Meruem, Sir?” Komugi hummed, nervously twiddling her thumbs as she waited for the crime lord’s attention.

“What’d I say about using formalities?”

Komugi winced, aware she wasn’t allowed to call him anything but his name. Titles were for people like his goons. People whom he claimed were less than him. “I know, Meruem. It just don’t feel right is all. I ain’t nothin’ next to you.”

“Close your head. You’re my squeeze," he gripped her waist, his voice impossibly deep and rich, "aren’t you?”

She nodded, her cheeks blushing a soft shade of pastel pink. The Boss smirked, amused by how nervous she always got around him. 

“So, where were we, doll?”

His lips pressed against the soft flesh of her neck. She trembled against his warm mouth, her vibrations sending a potent rush through Meruem’s body. Excitedly, he gently bit her. It was just enough to hear her lusty, desperate moan. He licked her skin, the spot now marked with the slight indents his teeth left behind. Grinning at his handy work, his fingers clutched her gartered thigh possessively. 

She gasped, her thighs roughly grinding against his lap. She felt his tongue lap against the length of her neck before he planted a long, tender kiss against the underside of her chin, the delicate skin vulnerable and exposed as she sensually arched her head back and moaned. 

Biting her own lip, she felt dizzy. _Two weeks._ It had only been two weeks. She thought about that night when she met him. The night Meruem's light found her in the dark.

* * *

This wasn’t good. Meruem trudged up Harper Street, his swank suit covered in a fresh spray of warm, thick blood. The crimson liquid dripped from his perfectly tailored sleeves, a wet trail following the crime lord as he made his way towards Hotel Bayloke, a safe place where he and his men could regroup. He decided to cut through a small park, the setting sun almost vanishing beyond the horizon, the sky delicately painted in faint pinks and oranges. 

He gripped the back of a bench as he passed, the wood hungrily absorbing the scarlet moisture that was covering his palms. He was leaving an easy path to tail, but it didn’t worry him too much.

Meruem felt relieved finding the park was deserted. Fewer people meant less problems, and problems were all he had tonight. 

He noticed a playground up ahead. Just a couple swings and a damaged, metal slide. It was too late for kids to be out. That’s good, especially when you’re a walking horror show slicked over with another guy’s blood. 

Meruem scrunched his nose in disgust, completely shocked the playground hadn’t been leveled. It obviously wasn’t a safe place for anyone, especially a kid. 

The crunch of sparse mulch crackled beneath his feet as the ramshackle rise of Yorknew’s slums came into view. The deteriorating buildings were perfectly framed by the wooden beams and rusted chains of the swing set. He snickered cynically. What a regular urban Monet.

He had almost passed through the park when he heard a soft hum, a song that seemed strangely familiar. He strained, attempting to understand what he heard, the quiet lullaby calling to him, urging him to turn. 

_Wonderful artwork by[FrenchUnicorn](https://twitter.com/LeFrenchUnicorn)._

Glancing to his side, Meruem noticed a young girl sitting in the dirt as she hummed that tune. She was obviously from the slums, her weathered outfit covered in patches and her hair bound in two messy pigtails. He half expected to see a bindle sitting beside her. The kid didn’t even have shoes! 

Meruem snarled, completely sore that kids live in such filth. Someone really needed to balance this world’s utterly broken system. ‘Maybe in another life,’ he silently growled.

“Kid!” he yelled, his voice startling the girl.

“Who m-m-me?”

“Who else? You’re the only brat I see around here.”

“Brat?” the girl thoughtfully repeated, fully confused. “You mean _me_ , Mister? I ain’t no kid!” She huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly in front of her chest and sticking her nose up in defiance. 

Meruem chuckled, absolutely amused. “Could have fooled me! What are you doing out so late, huh? It isn’t safe around here. Beat it.”

“Ehhh, is it late already?”

“You jingle-brained or something?” Meruem fumed back, his amusement replaced with obvious irritation. “I don’t like repeating myself, kid. You’re lucky I’m not some hood here to dry-gulch you.”

“I _told you_ I ain’t no kid, Mister!” 

Meruem’s brow furrowed, finally getting a good look at the girl. He realized she was right. Given her incredibly small stature and slender frame, he had naturally assumed she was much younger. Turns out, she's a fully grown skirt! Shine her up a bit and the dame was probably even a real looker. He winced, looking to his hand as he awkwardly searched for what to say. 

That’s when he saw something he’d forgotten. Something tingeing his olive-toned flesh: blood. 

_How had this girl not noticed all the blood?_

“You blind or something?” he blurted out, uncharacteristically lacking tact. 

The woman’s closed eyes turned to Meruem. Her thick brows knitted together as her neutral pout changed into a deep frown. “You don’t have ta rub it in, Mister.”

Meruem felt embarrassed, an emotion he wasn’t really accustomed to. He couldn’t understand why, but the crime boss felt an odd urge to make the girl feel better. Like he had caused this woman pain, and it felt strangely unacceptable to him. He walked over to the kneeling woman; his curiosity thoroughly piqued.

_Gorgeous artwork by[FrenchUnicorn](https://twitter.com/LeFrenchUnicorn)._

In front of the girl, Meruem saw she had drawn a sort of grid. It looked like a chessboard; each line carved into the slightly damp earth. A handful of rocks sat to the girl’s side. 

“What’s all this about?” he asked, sitting opposite the petite woman. 

“This is gungi!” she chirped; her voice suddenly excited and her smile huge. 

“Explain.”

She bounced in place, obviously thrilled to tell this stranger about the game. “Okay, Mister! I ain’t got a real board but I do have these rocks so we can play if ya want!”  
  
The woman's eyes opened wide, her icy irises catching Meruem by surprise. His jaw dropped and his breath hitched. Suddenly, the air felt different but he didn't understand why. He knew one thing for certain, though. Those ocean-deep peepers were the prettiest he had ever seen. 

"You there, Mister?"

Regaining his composure, he shot back, “Yeah. Rocks, huh?”

“Yeah! The flat ones are white, and the roundish ones are black.”

Meruem looked at the pile. “They’re all the same color, doll.”

The pale blonde blushed as she held back an excited squeal. No man had ever called her something so nice! 

“Well, to me they’re not all the same,” she giggled playfully. “So just use your imagination, Mister. I mean, I don’t even know what colors look like and I still manage to play just fine.”

He smirked. The woman was entertaining. “Keep spitting.”

She picked up a flat stone and held it high so he could see. “This is your Marshal.”

“How can you tell? They're all unmarked.”

“Because I told ya, silly! You just say what the piece is you’re putting down and where ya put it. I’ll remember. You won’t ever need to repeat it either!”

Meruem chuckled. This woman didn’t need any moves repeated, huh? Already, he liked her better than his goons. “Listen babe, that’s all well and good but—”

His sentence was cut off by the sounds of yelling. Seemed the cops were on the move, and following his clumsy trail, no doubt. By now, he should have been near his club, The King’s Lounge, so that blood trail was something he was never too bothered by. “I’ve got to scram. It’s been real swell, doll.” 

He rose, immediately beginning to walk towards the slums. There was an odd pang in his chest as he took each step. He didn’t really want to leave the woman.

“W—wait!” the girl called out; her voice shaky.

“Yeah?”

“What’s your name, Mister?” she shyly cooed, her face turning a peachy pink.

“Meruem. What’s yours?”

“Ko—Komugi, Sir!”

“Komugi,” he repeated, memorizing each syllable. "You play this game a lot?"

"Yeah, I'm here every afternoon, Mister."

He nodded, kicking a random tin can to the side. “See you around then, Komugi.”

She giggled, “Okay Mr. Meruem! I hope we get to play sometime soon!”

Meruem grinned, his cheeks unexpectedly blushing. The heated, red tone mingled with the crimson blood still splashed across his skin. He felt strange but he liked it. This woman was something else. 

The stars started to sprawl out like an endless blanket as Meruem breezed out of the park. He vanished into the slums, easily evading the police. 

With his bloody suitcoat now dry, no signs of his getaway were evident. He just vanished like he’d grown a set of wings and flown away. 

He imagined the cops would probably ask the girl questions. The blood trail ends right at her game, after all. Would she give them his name? He shrugged, not really caring either way. Not like the girl can finger him by looks. She didn't seem like the type to rat him out anyway.

The crime boss smirked wide, his mind wandering back to the woman's shimmering, aquamarine eyes. 

‘I wonder where I can buy a gungi board?’ 

He grinned and resolved to find out.

_The fantastic sketch that started this AU!  
This is the original human Meruem design by [Nomi](https://twitter.com/gnomster_nome).  
[FrenchUnicorn](https://twitter.com/LeFrenchUnicorn) then designed his color palette.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: thank you so much for reading this! This is, by far, the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to write. Meruem being much older than 40 days this time really changes parts of him. I had to imagine what his 20-25 or so years of life would have done to his character, especially given he had a childhood this time. Add in all the 20s slang I had to learn and this one was a doozy. I hope some of you really enjoy it, though. I tried my best to give you something entertaining ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for giving our AU a chance! We absolutely love collaborating together on Discord. If you'd like to be a part of our fun, feel free to join us: <https://discord.gg/ZWdRknj>
> 
> **Read MeruKomu Works by Our Members:**
> 
> "Until I Wake Up" by DukeKitty  
> <https://archiveofourown.org/works/25614796>
> 
> "Soldier of Fortune" by Beazel  
> <https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703724>
> 
> "Stop to Smell the Roses" by PenguinObsession  
> <https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762533>
> 
> "Stay" a novel by King951  
> <https://archiveofourown.org/works/25397707>
> 
> **More MeruKomu:**
> 
> Like comics? Check out a fancomic I collaborated on with the amazing artist FrenchUnicorn: _[Puzzling Encounters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25762132)_
> 
> Are you 18+ and interested in MeruKomu erotica? Check out: _[A Special Gift](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26281147)_


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